Take New Route

OPINION

March 18, 1990

Casselberry Mayor Andrea Dennison and the City Council are right to rethink a consultant's plan that aims at correcting neighborhood traffic woes.

The plan, as it stands, is a nightmare. Its confusion of one-way streets, barricades and cul-de-sacs would force more cars onto crowded main streets. And the consultant's suggestion that traffic tickets be issued to those whose origin or destination is not within the city is ludicrous.

It is easy to empathize with those who live along streets that have become shortcuts for motorists trying to avoid clogged State Road 436, Red Bug Lake Road and U.S. Highway 17-92. But the answer is not to ban public use of those neighborhood roads.

Actually, Mrs. Dennison's interest in the plan is suspect because she and several council members live in the neighborhood that would benefit most.

That aside, the reasoning also is weak. Mrs. Dennison argues that some inconvenience is necessary to protect the quality of life and to stop criminals. That is an exaggeration.

Most people using these streets are city residents or live nearby. They are trying their best to cope with the traffic on the major roads. They have every right to use all the streets maintained with their tax dollars.

If motorists are speeding, slow them down with traffic citations. If criminals are stalking neighborhoods, alert Crime Watch and step up police patrols. If that is not enough, some parts of the plan are worth considering, such as more right-turn-only lanes.

With all its road problems, south Seminole cannot afford a city road system that makes it impossible to avoid the major highways. When the mayor and City Council come back to this issue in April, they will need to find a balance between the needs of the few troubled by high neighborhood traffic and the many trying to get around.